COLLEGE BASKETBALL – TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2009
#2 Kentucky Wildcats (16-0) vs. Florida Gators (11-4)
The No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats hit the road to take on the Florida Gators at Stephen E. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, FL. on Tuesday night.
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The Gators beat the Wildcats 60-53 in their last meeting on Mar 7, 2009. Kentucky has not had any success in Gainesville, losing their last five trips, and went 5-7 on the road last season.
However, the No. 2 Wildcats are off to their best start since opening the 1965-66 season 23-0 and moved up in the rankings this week after Kansas fell to Tennessee. They are coming off a 76-68 win over Georgia on Saturday in a performance that was all but dominating. Georgia led 35-34 at halftime and held the Wildcats to just 43.3 percent shooting, their second lowest mark of the season. Nonetheless freshman John Wall scored 17 points for the second straight game as the Cats preserved their unbeaten streak. Wall is the only player in the nation to average at least 17.0 points and 7.0 assists while shooting at least 50 percent from the field per game.
The Gators meanwhile have a few stars of their own and are led offensively by freshman guard Kenny Boynton, besides five other players averaging at least 10.0 points per game. Boynton scored a season-high 28 points in a 95-87 loss at Vanderbilt in the Gators SEC opener on Saturday. Florida has proven it can beat top teams, knocking off then-No. 2 Michigan State 77-74 on Nov. 27 when the Gators rose to No. 10 after an 8-0 start. But after losing three straight fell out of the Top 25.
The odds makers have the Wildcats at –2-point favorites in this one.
While Florida ended their shooting slump, going 13-for-27 from 3-point range in its game against Vanderbilt, they played pitiful defense, allowing 40 points in the paint, 16 second-chance points and forcing just seven turnovers. Considering that Georgia were predicted to finish last in the SEC’s Eastern Division, the Wildcats will need to step up there game as they will have to face tougher teams in their remaining 15 conference games starting with Florida.
Look for the Gators to hang tough until the closing minutes when the Wildcats edge them out for the win, improving to 17-0.
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Kentucky’s last 7 games
- Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kentucky’s last 8 games on the road
- Kentucky is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
- Florida is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games
- Florida is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games at home
- Florida is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing Kentucky
- Florida is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Kentucky
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